Taken
by Synbou
Summary: Among the many possible explanations to why Danny refuses to take off his shirt and go swimming, Steve had never considered fire.
1. Taking the Call

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: The third story of ROLLING IN WAVES became a tsunami! Since it got so long (8 parts already), I decided to make it a story on its own. Don't be surprised if you read the first instalment of TAKEN because I kept the original posting in ROLLING IN WAVES. **

**Thank you so much, Marie Thea, for beta-reading the story. To me, that was AMAZING! I appreciate the help and the suggestions – they make it even more fun to work on these stories.**

**000**

**TAKEN **

**1****: Taking the Call.**

"I'm just saying, _this time,_ you could have backed me up," Danny told his partner, as Steve drove them back to the Palace. He was angry, frustrated, and even more disappointed at the other man's apparent lack of faith in his ability to subdue violent criminals. "The guy was about to lower his weapon. But what do you do? You open your month and question my tactics in front of the suspect, _again_. "

"You were—"

"Shut up." Danny cut him off, an accusing finger in the air for added emphasis. "Just shut up. I was not putting the creep to sleep as you like to think. I was convincing him to surrender. If you would ever let me finish what I start before shooting everybody, you might notice that I'm usually pretty good at what I do."

"Are you done?" asked Steve, clearly getting irritated.

"No, I am not," Danny retorted, Steve's interruption aggravating his already too-volatile temper. Though, before he could continue, his cell phone shrilled. He frowned at the ringtone he had set for his younger brother. He took a deep breath to steady his voice, glanced at his watch, and answered his cell.

"What are you doing up at such an unruly hour?" he asked in lieu of greeting, knowing his brother should be in New Jersey, and finding worry under his anger. His brother didn't just call when he knew Danny was working.

"Danny? You okay, bro?"

_So much for appearing nonchalant_, thought Danny. He took another deep breath. "Yeah, I am. Sorry about that. Let me try again. Hi Pat, how are you?"

Patrick chuckled knowingly. "I'm good, thanks." In the few seconds of silence that followed, the detective could have sworn he felt the atmosphere thicken. "Danny, I need to talk to you about Allison," Patrick said, referring to their sister.

"Allie? Is she all right?" He straightened his seat, suddenly on alert.

Steve gave his partner a concerned glance.

"She's fine," Patrick assured him. "You might just have saved her life."

"That's very nice of me. How did I manage to do that?" Danny asked him.

"There was a gas leak in her building; she recognized the smell and alerted the authorities," his brother said.

"Way to go, Allie!"

A few years back, when Allison had decided to move out on her own, Danny had set up a meeting with a firefighter friend, so that that his visually impaired sister could learn how to detect fire hazards, using her other senses.

"She did great!" agreed the youngest of the Williams' siblings. "She might have prevented a major catastrophe."

Danny heard Pat sigh at the other end, and worry crept back into the pit of his stomach.

"Dan, have you talked to her recently?"

"To Allie? Sure, Grace and I call her every Saturday. Why?"

"I think someone might have broken into her apartment."

"What? When?"

"Two days ago," Patrick said. "We were talking to the firefighters and Allie remembered taking note of something odd in her apartment: her furniture was slightly off. She thought that the housekeeper had knocked them over and forgotten to tell her. I talked to Nancy and she assured me that she didn't move anything. But when Allie says the furniture was rearranged, I believe her."

"I do too," said the older brother. "She relies on it too much to not recognize if it moved."

"Danny, maybe I'm overreacting, but…a break in and a gas leak…"

"Are sources of concerns," Danny finished for him. "Tell you what: I'll hop on the first plane back to Jersey. I'll be there in a couple of hours. Can you take her home?"

"Of course."

"I'll place a call to Lieutenant Harris, my former supervisor, and a friend of mine at the US Fire Administration. I'm sure they won't mind looking into this for us. I'll also ask Lt. Harris to put a security detail on you two."

"Okay, maybe you're the one overreacting?" argued his brother, having second thoughts.

"You don't know what overreacting is, Pat," Danny told him. "I have a prime example sitting right beside me."

Steve gave him a dirty look.

Pat snorted. "Does McGarrett still think he's Rambo?"

"You have no idea."

"Careful, bro," warned Patrick, not for the first time. "Guys like that will get you killed."

"Thanks for reminding me." Danny sighed. "Well, I'll call you back when I know more. Tell Allie I love her and that I'll be there soon."

"I will tell her. Thanks, Dan," Patrick said, before disconnecting the call.

"What's going on?" Steve said, bringing him out of his troubled thoughts.

"I'm not sure," he replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the passing Hawaiian coast line.

"Can I help?"

_And end up shooting all my family by mistake_? He thought darkly. He was still so angry at Steve for his latest stunt. "You know what? I can't deal with you, right now. Could you just drive?"

Steve nodded, knowing better than to push at this point.

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**A/N: ****I hope I got you interested. Stay tuned, things are about to heat up. **

(Dec. 2010)


	2. Taking Action

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Thank you everyone for your support. I wish to thank Marie Thea for beta reading this story and for her wonderful suggestions. Any mistake left in the text was made by me as I added a few things. **

**000**

**TAKEN**

**2****: Taking Action**

Once back at the Palace, Danny had reclaimed the Camaro and had driven off immediately. Steve had tried to distract himself with the writing of his case report ever since, failing miserably. The latest argument he had had with his partner kept on creeping back on his mind. Because of it, his friend had not trusted him with his worry and it bothered Steve.

The ring of his cell phone brought him out of his musing. Looking up at the caller's ID, he did not recognize the name. "Steve McGarrett," he greeted.

"Lieutenant-Commander, this is Agent Frances Delduka with USFA," a woman, Steve judged to be in her late forties, introduced herself. "I understand you're Danny Williams' partner."

"What can I do for you, Agent Delduka?" Steve asked, wondering why a Federal agent from the US Fire Administration was contacting him. As far as he knew, he had not put anything on fire lately. If he had, Danny would have had pointed it out numerous times by now, he thought wryly.

"We've been trying to reach Danny for the last fifteen minutes. I know he would take my call. Do you know where he is?"

"Possibly at the airport," Steve replied. "His plane leaves for San Francisco in less than half an hour."

"He's not on that plane. In fact, according to the airport authorities, he hasn't even gone through security yet. Lieutenant-Commander, you have to find Danny and you have to do it ASAP. I believe Gesner might be in Hawaii already. We assume he might have found Danny's location by going through Allison's personal belongings when he broke into her apartment."

Steve had risen from behind his desk and was at the center of 5-0's war room before she was done talking. Chin and Kono joined him, clearly alerted by his tense demeanor. "Gesner?" he repeated the unfamiliar name.

"Darren Gesner, the serial arsonist responsible for the burns Danny and Allison sustained when they were kids," she elaborated, obviously expecting him to understand. When Steve did not respond, she drew in a sharp breath. "Oh for crying out loud! Danny didn't mention anything? That actually surprises me—or maybe it shouldn't," she recanted, frustrated.

"Burn injuries?" Steve forced out.

"I'm afraid we don't have time for a history lesson," Delduka avoided the issue. "Darren Gesner is going after all of his prior victims, including the Williams. He rigged a mechanism that simulated a gas leak in Allison's building that would have killed her in a few hours if Danny hadn't insisted she learn how to recognize the smells of various accelerants. Gesner is not only a spree arsonist, but a serial killer. He has already killed two people and seriously injured a third. He's an opportunist who enjoys setting people on fire with whatever accelerant he has on hand."

Steve cursed under his breath. "Agent Delduka, stay on the line," he told her before turning to the remaining members of his team. "Danny might be in serious trouble. We need to find him fast."

Not wasting anytime, Chin and Kono moved back to their respective desks, ready to execute his orders.

"Chin, look up an arsonist under the name of Darren Gesner. He's believed to be here in Hawii looking for Danny. The guy has got to be stop."

"We're sending you what we have on him as we speak," Delduka told him. "The Williams' case happened in 1986."

Steve passed that information along to Chin before turning to Kono. "Put HPD on alert. We're looking for the Camaro. Danny was heading for the airport. He hasn't made it there, yet. I want on team on Grace and Rachel, just to be safe. I'm going to Danny's apartment."

McGarrett," Delduka said on a more personal tone. "Danny suffered enough at the hands of this maniac. Please, make sure he's all right and that he knows that we're looking after Allie and Patrick. _Nothing_ will happen to them."

"We'll make sure of it. Stay in touch," he added before disconnecting the call.

"That's when he got the scars, isn't it?" whispered Kono, face pale.

Scars? Danny really had burn scars on his body? No, it was not possible. He would know, right? Danny would have told him. "You knew about that?" he asked her, unexpectedly feeling hurt for not being told.

"Not from Danny, from Grace. She told me in confidence—said it was why Danny never takes his shirt off when he goes to the beach. The burns…they cover his back and part of his legs, she said."

Worry, anger, pain, and sadness all crashed over Steve at once. Steve dealt with all these emotions the way he knew best: turning them into determination. "Kono, call me if you have anything."

"Kono, the info on Gesner is on the main screen," Chin informed her as picked up the key of his motorcycle and rose. "You're not leaving without backup," he told Steve. "Danny would have my head. I'll be right behind you."

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**A/N: ****When I wondered about the reason why Danny wasn't going swimming, I remembered, too vividly, a case that I came across. It made this story plausible. Keep reading to find out what happens next!**

(Dec. 2010)


	3. Taking In The Scene

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Here is my last posting for 2010. Thank you so much for your interest in this story and for taking the time to review. It is a lot of fun to write and knowing what you think of it is very stimulating. **

**Thank you Marie Thea for beta proofing this chapter! Your help is precious. **

**000**

**Taking in the Scene**

Steve zigzagged through traffic as he sped towards his partner's apartment. Chin Ho, hunched on his bike, was hot on his tail. Had Danny been with Steve, he would have most certainly ranted nonstop about his erratic driving: called Steve a public menace and a maniac, among other things. Steve found himself missing the often aggravating tirades, and worrying about his friend even more.

They were three minutes out of their destination when Kono informed them that HPD had found the Camaro at Danny's building complex. There were signs of a struggle inside the apartment, but no hint of their colleague. Pushing his worry to the back of his mind, Steve concentrated on reaching the place as fast as possible.

The 5-0 detectives parked at the curb, by two squad cars. A tall and built Hawaii Native patrol officer greeted them by the intact Camaro. Not wasting any valuable time, he lead them to the small studio Danny called his apartment.

"The door was half open when we got here. There is no sign of forced entry, but there was definitely a fight," reported the officer. "We found some blood on the wall by the door."

A sharp smell assaulted them as they reached the door's threshold. "Whoo! Is that kerosene?"

"It sure smells like it," agreed Chin.

Steve's gaze swept the room. The sofa bed had been folded away: the living area and the kitchen lacked Danny's usual clutter. He assumed his friend had intended to leave the place tidy before taking off for New Jersey. Now, the coffee table and the lamp that had been resting on it were smashed on the floor. There was also a bloodied dent in the wall where Danny or his assailant had been thrown, and the disturbing smell of kerosene hung in the air.

"Gun, handcuffs, and cell appear to be missing," Steve observed. "You know, Danny can put up one heck of fight." He exhaled nervously, incapable of voicing what he really suspected. "There's not enough damage to this room."

"You think Gesner used the kerosene to subdue him," asked Chin Ho, examining a stain on the carpet.

"Yes." Blood boiling, he tensed his jaw. "I can't think of any better way to take out a man who already caught on fire once before."

The words were harsh, the reality even harsher. The spree arsonist turned serial killer, had gotten to Danny first. Based on his MO, they did not have a lot of time ahead of them to find their friend alive.

"Someone must have had seen something," Steve said. "Keep asking around. We're looking for a car, suspicious handling of inflammable material, anything on fire. Kono is circulating a picture of Gesner as we speak. Let's get moving."

Chin Ho and the patrol officer exited the apartment. Steve stayed behind long enough to pick up the picture of Grace that was lying on the floor. Carefully, he removed it from its broken frame and slid it into his shirt pocket.

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**A/N: ****I hope you enjoy the intrigue so far. Thanks for reading and reviewing. **

**Happy New Year!**

(Dec 2010)


	4. Taking the Road

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N****: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I appreciate the comments and the interest in the story. I wish I could answer to all you personally, but it's just not possible. Some of you pointed out a few details I got wrong (i.e. time it takes to get from the Main land to Hawaii and that to be designated a serial killer – three murders must have been committed). Thank you for pointing that out. I like to have straight facts, but I do get lost in them some times. My apologies. **

**Marie Thea, merci! Thank you! for helping me improve my English. **

**Enjoy! **

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**Taken**

**4: Taking the Road.**

A police force was like any other _ohana_. Its members could tear each other apart, but if a single one was in trouble, they all turned into a united front. Danny had even more going on for him, thought Steve. Despite his very vocal dislike of everything Hawaiian, Danny was generally well liked for a Haole. His professionalism and, most of all, the way he had stood up to clear Meka's name, had granted the detective the respect of the Force. No one intended to let Danny Williams, or his lovely eight-year old daughter, Grace, down.

"Are you sure that Gesner has Daniel?" asked Governor Jameson.

Steve tightened his grip on the cell phone as he drove back toward the Palace. "No," he admitted. To be truthful, he didn't dare consider another alternative. As chilling as the arsonist, serial killer theory could be, it was the only lead they had at the moment. "Gesner landed at Honolulu International last night. He rented a dark blue Chevrolet Equinox that was spotted a few times by Danny's apartment, earlier today."

"He didn't waste any time," Jameson stated.

"Agent Delduka described him as a spree arsonist, meaning that he plans multiple fires to ignite around the same time. He probably still expects Allison Williams' apartment to go up in flames."

"Could the New Jersey's fire investigators give you a time frame?"

"They said the ignition mechanism was designed to go off in the next two hours," Steve answered. "It seems Gesner planned on giving himself some time in order to find Danny and set up his own system here. He's getting brasher, taking more risks as he goes— not thinking things through. He's making mistakes and leaving evidence behind. Already, his plan for Allison was flawed: she picked up the smell of the gas pretty quickly. Even the victim of Gesner's last known fire survived. These mistakes are going to be his downfall."

"Do you think Daniel could turn those mistakes to his advantage?" Jameson asked, hopeful.

"If Danny is in any way capable, I'm sure that he will." There was no doubt in his mind that his partner would resort to his preferred tactic. "Danny's weapon of choice is to talk people to brink of insanity. Once there, they start doing those mistakes and he makes his move."

"Sounds like a valuable tactic. Maybe you should try it sometime, Lieutenant-Commander," she suggested, good-naturedly.

"Maybe I should. The problem is, I usually lose it before the perps do," he said. "I have to get Danny to give me some pointers on this one."

"Let's hope that he can."

"Yes," Steve agreed. _Because the least I want is for the last conversation I had with my partner to be an argument over _that_ tactic. _"Governor, I'll keep you informed."

"Good luck, Steve."

He had barely disconnected the call when a second one came in.

"Boss, we might have a lead," said Kono. "An elderly woman just called to report that a man broke into her shed. She's seen him coming and going with a flashlight from her house. A vehicle matching Gesner's has also been spotted in that area." She gave him the address. "Chin is already on his way."

"Have HPD, the fire department, and the EMTs meet us at there." Steve turned on light and siren. Gas pedal to the floor, he promised Danny that he would be there on time for him. "Just hold on that tactic just yet, Partner. I want a shot at it. That is, if he didn't hurt you."

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**A/N: Funny, I'm**** not sure if I like Governor Jameson or not, but I sure enjoy writing her. **

(Dec 2010)


	5. Taking the Heat

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Again, thank you all for your interest in the story. I am very happy you are enjoying it. Many thanks to Marie Thea for going over this text for me, I really appreciate the help. **

**000**

**TAKEN**

**5 Taking the Heat**

Hands tied behind his back, Danny was shoved inside a dark enclosed space. He fell to the ground ungracefully. His pounding headache flared up; the skin at his left temple felt sensitive and wet. His neck and throat were sore to the point that swallowing was difficult. He was nauseous and the intense smell of kerosene was making it worse. It seemed to follow his every move. With his face against gritty cement, Danny felt disoriented and confused.

His wrists were let loose, and a hand pulled at his left arm. He resisted, trying to regain control of his limb. His efforts were met by an increasing pressure on his back: someone's knees. He soon recognized the distinctive click of handcuffs being secured around something. Even more restrained, he panicked.

"What're you doing?" he rasped. "Who're you?"

"Have you forgotten me, Danny?" taunted his assailant. The voice raised the hairs on the back of his neck. "I hit your head too hard. This might not be as fun as I hoped."

_Gesner. _

His childhood nightmare and pyromaniac former neighbour was back for real. He had gone after Allison and he had come after him. Why was this psycho not locked up? Why had he come back after all these years? Why Allison?

_Allie__ was okay, right? Let her be safe,_ he silently implored.

"Relax, Danny," the arsonist said. "The fun hasn't begun yet."

"Darren, you can still stop this," he called out to the madman. "It isn't kids' stuff anymore. You're _killing_ people."

"Not just _people_; I'm getting rid of _all_ of you." Gesner stood quickly.

Danny tried to gather himself from the floor. His tied up wrists restricted his movements. He finally made it into a half-lying position. He turned around in time to see Gesner light up a pile of rags through blurry eyes.

"You won't get away with it. They'll catch you." Danny snorted. "Steve will even kill you."

"Maybe, but not before you go BOOM!" Gesner said. "It was nice seeing you again, Danny." The arsonist gave his handiwork one last appreciative look. He jumped from the shed, closing the door behind him.

Left alone and handcuffed to a metal shelf, Danny felt crushed by bone-wrecking fear. Smoke stung his eyes and clogged his lungs. He coughed violently. The fire was spreading rapidly and it was getting hotter. He was going to burn, again…his kerosene-soaked shirt was going to make him go up in flames. He frantically tore it apart with his free hand, threw it to the side and he pulled at the handcuffs with all he had. Pain shot up his arm. Overwhelmed, he cried out.

"I'm so sorry, Monkey…. Remember, Danno loves you, Gacie."

His love for his daughter made it impossible for him to give up. He felt adrenaline rush through his beaten body. Danny ran his right hand along his belt and pant pockets.

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**A/N: I don't know for you, but I'm feeling hot. Any of you made the connection between the name Gesner and kerosene? ;-) Thanks for reading and reviewing. **

(Dec. 2010)


	6. Taking All Hopes

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: ****This is as good as my research. I hope I fared okay. Thank you for keeping up with the story. Following Marie Thea's excellent observations, I made a few adjustments in the text. If they are a few mistakes left behind, they are my fault. Enjoy! **

**000**

**Taken**

**6****: Taking All Hopes**

The fire could be seen from a few miles, ahead. It wasn't all that big, but it was burning intensely into the dark night. Already the scene was crowded. Emergency vehicles were rolling up as close to the blaze as possible, while bystanders lined up by the side of the road.

Steve brought his truck to an abrupt halt by a squad car. Stepping out, he confronted a solemn looking Chin Ho. Their eyes met for a few seconds. No word was needed to confirm that this was it. This was where Gesner had taken their friend.

Anger and anguish surging inside, Steve bolted forward only to be stopped by Chin. "Brah, don't," he said, voice heavy with compassion. "The shed exploded before we even got here." Steve's shoulders sagged as all his hopes of finding Danny in time were crushed. Lips tight with his own difficulties dealing with the loss, Chin brought them back to the task at hand. "Gesner's Equinox is over by the house. He's got to be still here."

"He is," Steve stated more confidently than he felt. "An arsonist like him stays and enjoys the show." For a few seconds, they watched the firefighters as they worked around the burning shed. Steve willed his grief away. There would be time to mourn later. They had to catch Gesner first. That's what Danny would have had expected of them. "Gesner might not know we're on to him—mingled into the crowd—I'll brief HPD on the search."

Leaving Chin, Steve ordered two patrol officers to seal off the scene. A few minutes later, he saw a man dash from the group, Chin sprinting after. He was about to take off after them when an officer called: "Commander McGarrett, they've got a body over here!"

Torn between the two, the Head of the 5-0 unit quickly decided that he could trust Chin Ho to make the arrest. The body could be Danny's and he would have to make the identification. Dreading what he would find, Steve rushed toward the undergrowth on the other side of the burning building. Two firefighters were kneeling by an unconscious man.

"Danny," Steve rasped thought the smoke filled air. His friend was lying prone on his stomach, shirtless. In the dim light, Steve could see the childhood burn scars his friend had so carefully kept to himself.

"Pulse's erratic, faint," said the oldest of the two firefighters. Grasping his radio he called for EMTs.

Not wasting any time, his partner gently rolled Danny on his back to facilitate his breathing. Tilting the fallen man's head backward, he briefly looked up Steve. "Take off your shirt," he told him. "We've got to protect him from the cool ground."

_Right_, Steve thought as his first aid training rushed back to mind. He removed the dark blue shirt covering his white T, while the firefighter retrieved a pocket mask. Assisted by his partner, he secured it upon Danny's ash and blood covered face, and pushed two breaths through it, bringing air to oxygen deprived lungs. Kneeling, Steve helped the two professionals wrap the shirt around his friend's torso.

"Careful," warned the senior firefighter. "His wrist is broken. There burns and cuts on his hands; looks like he clawed his way out."

"I saw marks around his neck," his partner said.

"Strangulation bruises," The SEAL provided. The younger firefighter looked back at him, dismayed.

They lowered Danny back down as paramedics joined them, stretcher and medical equipment in hand. Steve stepped to the side, useless once again. He felt oddly nauseated as he closely watched the group take care of his friend. In the past, Steve had provided first aid to burn victims without any ill feeling, but this time it was different. This time, it was Danno.

Needing to know how his partner was faring, Steve paid attention to the clinical motions and decisions taken by the EMTs. Afraid to further damage Danny's larynx with an intratracheal tube, they gave him an oxygen mask and started an IV on the inside of his elbow as they placed padded gauze on his eyes and around his hands. The blue shirt remained on, left for the doctors to handle. Only when the EMTs were ready to lift the stretcher into the ambulance did Steve move back closer. Putting a hand on Danny's chest, he covered the picture still in its breast pocket.

"Danno, Gracie is here," he said, gently patting the photograph lying over the father's heart. "Remember, she loves you very much." The doors of the ambulance were closed in front of him. Wishing he could ride with his partner, he watched the emergency vehicle leave the scene with full lights and siren.

"Steve," Chin Ho said softly from behind him.

"Tell me you got Gesner," he said, fists clenched.

"We did."

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**A/N: Gesner is as good as dead and Danny is on his way to the hospital. It could have been worse****. I hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned, there will be more to come. Thanks for reading.**

(Dec. 2010)


	7. Taking in the Damages

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: Hi everyone, thanking for waiting. The next parts are here, all beta-ed thanks to Marie Thea. This is as good as my research. I hope I faired okay. **

**000**

**TAKEN  
**

**7****: Taking in the Damages **

Steve searched for his partner under all the white gauze covering his injured body. He had been at it for almost two days, failing. He had yet to associate the prone figure on the hospital bed as being the expressive Danny Williams.

One pad hid the seven stitches on Danny's left temple. Two more protected his eyes. A ventilator shadowed the rest of his face. Danny's hands had been thoroughly wrapped and his broken left wrist set into a brace. They were resting on soft looking pillows. Only the ugly dark strangulation bruises were left in plain sight, contrasting with the pallid skin.

By some miracle, Danny had sustained very few external burns; his hands having taken the brunt of it. However, he was suffering from a moderately severe case of smoke inhalation from which he might never completely recover. With a high risk of pneumonia within the next four to five days and other opportunistic infections, Danny might not recover at all.

"You got this far, Danno," Steve told the unconscious man. "You've got to keep going. You won't be alone, I promise." He looked down at the picture of Grace that had been given back to him. He had found a new picture frame for it earlier, down in the gift shop. It actually looked nice. Carefully, he placed it on a nearby bedside table, out of harm's way.

High heels hitting tiles informed Steve of Rachel's arrival. "It's a very beautiful picture of Gracie," said the child's mother from the doorway of Danny's ICU cubicle.

"It is," he agreed. He covered the distance separating him from his friend's ex-wife in two strides.

"How is he?" Rachel asked, voice strained and hesitant.

"Stable," Steve replied, eyes moving back in Danny's direction.

"I guess that's good," she said, at last.

"I'm not actually sure what it means, either," he told her. "I— I just wish we could have gotten to him sooner."

She put a hand on his arm, inviting him to look back at her. "You got to him, Steve," she pointed out the simple fact. "That's what is important."

He nodded. "How is Gracie holding up?"

The mother took a deep breath, obviously sympathizing with her eight year-old daughter. "She doesn't quite understand what happened to her father and why she can't be with him while he is sick. She's scared."

"Seeing her grandparents and her Aunt Allie might help," offered Steve.

"I think so, too," agreed Rachel, not insensitive to the need of the family to be together in such a difficult time. "It is too bad Patrick could not come right away. They are a close knitted family."

Steve had gathered as much when he had informed the Williams of what had happened to Danny. "Thank you for allowing me to bring Gracie to the airport with me," Steve told her with a small, but heartfelt smile.

"You're welcome. She is waiting for you in the lobby with Stan."

Understanding that Rachel needed her own time alone with her ex-husband, Steve gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze before leaving the room. Danny's family was scheduled to land at Honolulu International in an hour; Steve and Gracie would be there to greet them.

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**A/N: I know this part is short, but more is coming. **

(Dec 2010)


	8. Taking Pain

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii**** 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: I wish to thank all of you for your support and interest in the story. I'm very happy you are enjoying it. Special thanks to Marie Thea who took the time to beta the story for me. This one is very important to me, so it was worth the wait in order to do it right. **

**000**

**TAKEN**

**8: ****Taking pain**

Steve had invited Danny's family to stay over while in Hawaii. There were plenty of rooms in his childhood home, and he felt it was the least he could do to help during this difficult time.

While Danny's parent's, Caroline and James, had gone straight to the hospital once in Hawaii, their daughter, Allison, had visited her brother only on her second day, preferring to share the first day with her niece. The night following the hospital visit, she woke screaming around two a.m. Caroline had apologized to Steve and had insisted that he go back to sleep while they comforted her. However, he had not been able to find peace of mind later on, thinking that the Williams had had far more than their share of nightmares over the years.

From what Steve had gathered, the Gesners had been neighbours of the Williams for a few years, living a floor below in the same apartment building. By age nine, Darren's fascination for fire had already raised a few flags. Despite counselling and parental vigilance, one day after school, the boy had set up a small fire in their building's basement. He had then left it unattended, going up for his supper and not going back down. During the evening, the fire had expanded. By 1:30 a.m., it had spread to all three floors, seriously injuring Danny and costing Allison her sight.

For the last two days, Allison had practically taken residence in one of the Adirondack chairs facing the ocean. Danny's sister was a beautiful, conservatively dressed woman. About two inches taller than her older brother, she had straight brown hair sweeping on her shoulders. Except for the blue eyes, she did not much resemble Danny. She had inherited their father's dark features, while her older sibling was the portrait of their mother.

"Allison, it's Steve," he announced himself as joined her on the deck. "I have some lemonade for you."

"Thank you." The blind woman extended a hand and Steve brought the glass into her reach. "You're a very generous host."

"Your brother would dispute that," he said lightly as sat in the chair next to her, holding his own glass.

She laughed softly. "Danny says a lot of things. You have to filter through some of that anger and frustration of his to get to his point, but he's not all that grumpy a person. Danny actually cares a lot about people, much more than he wishes to let on. You know, Steve, he does appreciate you as his partner – well most of the time," she added with a teasing smile. "Has your friend Chin taken my parents back to the hospital?"

"Chin and Kono brought Danny's Camaro over for them earlier" he told her. "Chin found Danny's second set of keys in his desk at the office."

"Do you still think the original set was lost in the fire?" she asked, her expression distant.

"We do. Danny probably had it in his pocket all along. We're not sure how it played out, but Danny's wrists might have been freed from the handcuffs while the other was tied to something in the shed. Once he got the chance, he would have used the handcuffs' key on his chain to free himself completely, dropping the set as he escaped out of the shed."

"He most have been so scared…" Allison said, voice cracking. "How he survived this… It's beyond me."

Steve over and put a comforting hand on her arm. "Danny has Grace," he pointed out. "He lives every moment without her in the expectation of being with her again."

"He sure does love the little one," agreed Allison with a fond smile. She took another sip of her lemonade. "From the moment she was born, Gracie became Danny's source of comfort through a world of pain, uncertainty and, at times, unbearable sense of responsibility towards those he loves. Danny has such a deep understanding of what pain is. I've been told it's what makes him a great police officer. It also overwhelms him to the point that he shoves you aside, biting hard to make sure you stay away, if necessary."

"I certainly can relate to that," Steve confessed, his gaze suddenly lost in the depth of his glass. "When your brother called to inform Danny of the incident in your building, Danny and I were… arguing about work. After the call, he fell into his own little world. He wouldn't talk to me. I learned about what happened to you through somebody else."

Allison nodded, understanding. "Danny never liked to talk about the fire. He says it makes him feel like a victim, makes him feel vulnerable. He avoids it as much as he can."

Steve sat straighter in his chair. "I wish he had trusted us enough to share the scars with us instead of having us teasing him about the fact that he never goes swimming or the way he dresses."

"You tease him about the way he dresses?" asked Allison, incredulous.

"I can't help it," Steve defended himself. "The tie is a bit much."

"I thought ties were nice."

"Not such much in Hawaii," he told her.

She snorted. "Rachel always liked him wearing ties. It's probably why he does."

"She still has quite a hold on him, hasn't she?" Steve observed.

"I think they still care about each other. They wouldn't want to kill another each time they talked if they didn't. I hope they'll be able to work through their anger sooner rather than later. It's hard on three of them."

"Trust me; it's hard on all of us."

She laughed. "I can imagine… Danny isn't the easiest guy to work with when he's cranky." Her expression sobered. "Steve, he's going to be all right, isn't he?"

"You bet he will," he assured her. "Danno is a fighter."

000

**A/N: I hope this gave the background this story needed so much.**

(Dec 2010).


	9. Taking and Giving

**Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.**

**A/N: This is it: the last part****. I can't say it enough: "Thank you Marie for all your help!"**

**000**

**T****AKEN**

**9****: Taking and giving. **

Rachel opened the front door of her home with a certain level of trepidation. It had been years since her ex-husband's arrival had stirred up such an expectation. She could not quite pinpoint the moment when she allowed herself to feel anything other than anger toward him; today she was just glad. She was grateful that they were finally moving on toward a more amicable relationship. It was much better for their daughter.

Seeing Danny finally out of the hospital after a long three-week stay warmed her heart more than she intended to let on. Dressed in Bermuda shorts and a loose blue top that could almost pass for a Hawaiian shirt, he looked as laid back as he ever would. Rachel assumed it was the compromise her stubborn ex-husband had to make in order to dress on his own.

Danny had yet to appear healthy. Still, she could appreciate the major improvement from that first day when she had visited him in the ICU. The difference was night and day. He had recovered well at first, only to worsen later in the week due to pneumonia. The doctors had caught it early, but they had come close to losing him again.

"Hello, Danny, please come in." She closed the door behind him as he removed his dark sunglasses with a lightly bandaged right hand that gave him back some dexterity. His left wrist was now in a full cast, however.

"Thank you. How are you?" he asked politely, voice hoarse.

"I'm doing well, thank you. Gracie should be right along. She wanted to pack one last thing," she said. Danny nodded his understanding. "How are you doing, Daniel?" she asked on that tone that used to compel her ex-husband to be honest about his true feelings.

He looked in her general direction, embarrassed as she expected him to be. "It's getting better, slowly. My head doesn't hurt as much—vision's still blurry. I'm not sure if it's from the heat or the head injury; probably both." He cleared his throat, roughly. "It feels like I swallowed glass and it still hurts a lot to breathe. It makes me tired. The doctor says it's a matter of a few more weeks."

"If it's too tiresome to have Gracie, today—"

"It's never too 'tiresome' to have Gacie," he cut her off. She felt a pang of guilt at seeing panic cross his glazed eyes. It was Saturday and Danny had probably looked forward to see his daughter just as much as the little girl had. "Besides, I won't be alone with her."

"That's true," Rachel conceded. "Are you still going look for a new apartment with your parents?"

"Yes. It's not necessary, but they insist." He sounded exasperated.

If he only knew to which extent he had lost that argument! Even if they could wipe away the smell of the kerosene from the floor and fix the hole in the wall; the bad memories remained. Family and friends had all agreed that Danny was not going back to his old place.

Before she could argue the point herself, Gracie came rushing down toward her father, her overnight bag in hand. "Danno, I missed you so much!"

Danny knelt down and gave his daughter a bear hug. "I missed you more, Monkey."

"Gracie," said Rachel more sternly. "What did I say about the overnight bag? You are not sleeping over tonight."

"But- but who will watch Danno's breathing while he sleeps now that he's out of the hospital? I can do it. The nurses taught me how to do it."

Sadden by all the worry the whole situation had caused his daughter, Danny gave her a reassuring smile. "Monkey, that's very sweet of you, but nobody has to watch my breathing anymore. I'm all better." Of course, his constant wheezing breath and the hoarseness of his voice contradicted his words. Grace crooked her head ever so slightly, calling him on the lie.

"Okay, maybe not _all_ better, but _much _better."

"Please, Danno, I want to stay with you. I'll let you rest and won't make noise. I'll be good, I promise." Grace turned to her mother. "Please, mom."

Trying not to undermine her parental authority in front of Grace, Danny gave her a subtle nod. When had he become cautious of such issues? She wandered. "If you are okay with it," she finally told Danny. "I have no objection."

"Thank you, Mommy. I'll be quiet, you'll see."

"Okay, Monkey, let's go. Are you ready to do some apartment hunting?"

"Yes, I am," the little girl replied, excited. "I know exactly what we need, too!"

You do, do you?" Danny said as Grace opened the door for them.

"Wait until you see," she added.

_Oh__, Gracie, _thought her mother_. Don't spill the beans too soon. It's a surprise… _

000

**The End.**

**A/N: Oh My! That's finally it for ****what was originally the Third Wave – my very own tsunami! I hope you enjoyed. Thank you all for the reviews and your interest in TAKEN. The story was a lot of fun to write. **

(Dec. 2010)


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